WATTLE (Acacia leucophloea)
Trade Name
Wattle
Scientific Name
Acacia leucophloea Willd.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
A kawa (Vietnam); A bu (Vietnam); Phayamai (Thailand); Chalaep daeng (Thailand); Ta noung (Myanmar); Pilang (Indonesia); Forest siris (Australia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Delapontea microphylla Gagnep; Delapontea ferox Gagnep; Acacia melanochaetes Zoll
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to fairly large deciduous tree up to 35 m tall. The bole is up to 100 cm in diameter.
Natural Habitat
Acacia leucophloea is found in savanna or scrub vegetation, dry forests and teak forests, on well drained soils, between 50 to 750 m of altitude.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and sh Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is pale olive brown to pink darkening to reddish-brown or dark red with darker streaks, sharply differentiated from the pale yellowish sapwood.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
The grain varies from straight to slightly interlocked.
Texture
The texture is fine to medium and even.
Luster
This species is moderate in luster.
Natural Durability
It is durable when exposed to weather, but not in contact with ground. It is resistant to dry wood termites.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
4
Internal Growth Stresses
Growth stresses are reported in this species.
Resistance To Impregnation
The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservative treatment.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.7660571561
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.87
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.1
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: The wood dries rapidly without much degrade. Boards of 15 mm thick take about 2.5 months to air dry. Drying Defects: It is prone to staining during seasoning. Kiln Schedules: The wood can be dried moderately fast, just like other durian timber, using schedule D (Malaysia), with only slight twisting. It is recommended to air dry sawn timber for at least 2 weeks before kiln drying.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.1
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
876
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
107607
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
535
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
94
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this wood is reported to be fair to difficult.
Machining
It is easy to machine.
Planing
The wood planes easily to a smooth, lustrous surface using cutting angles of 15 to 25 degrees.
Turning
30
Boring
Boring is reported to be easy.
Nailing
It is easy to nail.
Finishing
Wood of this species is easy to finish.
Polishing
It is easy to polish.
Response To Hand Tools
It is easy to work with hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, TURNING, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
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